Bowers Tops AMA Arenacross Opener

By Cycle News Staff | 10/31/2011 9:54 AM

The 2011 -'12 AMA Arenacross Series got underway in Des Moines, Iowa, October 29, at the Wells Fargo Arena, where defending champ Tyler Bowers got things started with the main-event win.Bowers, on the Babbitt's Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki, got off to a midpack start but slowly worked his way up to the front. He soon had control of third, while his teammate Chad Johnson and Bella's Cupcakes/Club MX Kawasaki rider Zach Ames were battling for the lead.
Ames, who was running second, made a bid for the lead on the ninth lap but ended up taking both he and Johnson to the ground, making things easy for Bowers, who rode around the two downed riders and then rode off with the win. Both Johnson and Aimes retired to the pits.Second ended up going to Babbitt's Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki's Josh Demuth who was competing in his first Arenacross race since winning the championship in 2010.FMF Power/Poynt TUF Honda's Jeff Gibson got on the podium with a third-place finish.
Nathan Skaggs (Honda) and Michael Willard (KTM) rounded out the top five overall.Willard also competed in the Arenacross Lites class where he came away with the win. He first had to battle his way past Tanner Moore and Aaron Gulley before pulling away.Gulley, on the Shades of Gray Kawasaki, took second, while Dave Ginolfi, on the Reed and Reese KTM, took third.Fourth went to Adam Gulley, followed by Daniel Blair and Moore.